1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer using a roll of paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a printer using a roll of paper, because a print head, especially a thermal head, is pressed against the paper during printing and is heated, it gets dirty easily and requires periodical maintenance. Thus, it is required to achieve easy access to the print head at the time of maintenance, and various types of printers has been developed.
For example, FIG. 6 shows a printer wherein a platen 40 is attached to a roll cover frame 2 which is rotatably attached to a roll holding frame 1 for holding a roll of paper R. Because the platen 40 can be widely separated from the print head 12, the maintenance of the print head becomes easy. However, a stationary blade 21, which cooperates with a movable blade 22, driven by a cutter unit 20, to cut the paper, is also attached to the roll cover frame 2. Thus, there is a problem that the adjustment of the relative positions of the movable blade 22 and the stationary blade 21 to realize favorable cut of the paper is difficult.
Also, as shown in FIG. 7, there is a printer wherein the stationary blade 21 is attached to the cutter unit 20 and the cutter unit 20 can be rotated. In this type of printer, because the stationary blade 21 and the movable blade 22 are attached to the same cutter unit 20, the above mentioned problem that the adjustment of the relative positions of the movable blade 22 and the stationary blade 21 is difficult does not occur. However, in order to separate the platen 40 from the print head 12, at first the cutter unit 20 is rotated to separate the stationary blade 21 from the print head 12, and then, the roll cover frame 2 is rotated to separate the platen 40, that is, two motions are required.
An object of the present invention resides in providing a printer using a roll of paper having a simple structure wherein a print head can be accessed by a simple operation.
According to the present invention, there is provided a printer using a roll of paper, comprising a printer body unit having at least a print head attached thereto and a cutter unit for cutting the paper printed by the print head, wherein the cutter unit is rotatably attached to the printer body unit, the cutter unit includes a stationary blade and a movable blade which cooperate, above the print head, to cut the paper during the cutting operation, the print head is provided with a platen for pressing the paper against the print head, and the stationary blade, the movable blade and the platen can be displaced from a position above the print head, by rotating the cutter unit.
Preferably, the cutter unit can be rotated to a position in which the platen is located on the non-printing surface side of the print head, opposite to a printing surface, with respect to an extension line of a rear surface of the print head, when the printer is not used.
Preferably, a connecting member is attached to the printer body unit and the cutter unit is rotatably attached to the connecting member.
Preferably, the platen is attached to a lower surface of the cutter unit through a platen mounting member.
Preferably, the platen mounting member can also serve as a paper guide for guiding the paper into the cutter unit.